Kurtis Reitsma

May 21, 1963 - July 2, 2016

Visitation: Family will greet visitors from 5 to 8:00 p.m. Friday at St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Tea, SD. A scripture service will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Service: Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, July 9, 2016 at St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Tea, SD. Burial will be at Holy Rosary Cemetery in Kranzberg, SD.

Kurt Reitsma pix paper        Kurtis Dale Reitsma, 53, of Tea, SD, joined the Lord in Heaven on July 2, 2016, at 11:10 PM while at Sanford Hospital. He suffered a massive brain hemorrhage as a result of a ruptured brain aneurysm.  Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, July 9, 2016 at St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Tea.  Burial will be at Holy Rosary Cemetery in Kranzberg, SD.  Family will greet visitors from 5 to 8:00 p.m. Friday at St. Nicholas Catholic Church.  A scripture service will begin at 6:30 p.m.

            Kurt was born to Theodore and Elaine (Willts) Reitsma of Bigelow, MN, on May 21, 1963. Kurt grew up in Bigelow and spent many hours in his father’s blacksmith shop, recounting fond memories to anyone that would listen. He attended Faith Christian and Worthington High School. He continued on to Minnesota West Community and Technical College in Pipestone, MN, where he graduated with an associate’s degree in Lumberyard Management.

            Shortly after graduation from technical school, Kurt moved to Hawaii where he worked for Garst Seeds. After a few years, he decided to return home to attend South Dakota State University where he obtained a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Plant Science. While attending SDSU, he met his wife Christine (Hupf) Reitsma, and they married on June 20, 1992. They had three children: Megan (22), Mitchell (20), and Michelle (15).

            After graduating from SDSU, Kurt and Chris moved to Pierre, SD where Kurt worked as a Program Specialist for the South Dakota Department of Agriculture. Though he loved living by the river, the family moved from Pierre to Tea in 2007, and he returned to SDSU as a Research Associate for the Plant Science Department. While at SDSU, Kurt helped to develop a mapping program called ArcGIS and a specialized corn planter; he also authored several book chapters and research papers. In 2014 Kurt found the job of his dreams as a Certified Service Agent for Encirca-Pioneer and carried out the rest of his career with them.

            When Kurt was not working diligently with farmers, he enjoyed all kinds of outdoor activities, including fishing, gardening, camping, bird watching, hiking, swimming with his dogs, and caring for his “girls,” the chickens. Though modest, he was also an excellent woodworker. Kurt is survived by his wife Chris, daughters Megan and Michelle, son Mitchell, mother Elaine, sisters Marian Reitsma and Marcia Anakalea, in-laws Mary and Elmer Hupf, Kevin and Stacy Niemann, Cheryl and Bill Lindner, Randy Hupf, and many nieces and nephews. Kurt was preceded in death by his father Theodore, brother Kenneth, and nephew Jason Galles.

            In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to GoFundMe.com/KurtReitsma for the higher education of Kurt’s children.

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7 messages have been left

  1. Andrea Kluever on July 6, 2016 said:

    I just wanted to say how sorry I am to hear of Kurt’s passing. Kurt was a wonderful person. I grew up with Kurt in Bigelow. My brother and him were good friends. One memory I have is Kurt driving around in his Pinto. He will be missed. My thoughts and prayers go out to your family at this difficult time.

  2. Ruth and Dwayne beck on July 6, 2016 said:

    Very much saddened to hear about this. Kurt was a great person. We always enjoyed our visits with him. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all his family. I know he will be greatly missed.

  3. Karen Leffler on July 6, 2016 said:

    Chris, my sincerest condolences. May the Lord be with you and your family.

    1. Karen Leffler on July 6, 2016 said:

      Chris, my sincerest condolences. May the Lord be with you and your family.

  4. Pat Dittberner on July 6, 2016 said:

    Can’t believe how quickly life changed in the few days after I talked to you last week. You are in my prayers. May God wrap His loving arms around you and your family & help you through each day.

  5. Kelly Dix on July 7, 2016 said:

    Chris and family,
    I am so sorry to hear about Kurt’s death. I remember you and Kurt being such supportive parents at St. Joseph School in Pierre. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. May God’s healing love give you comfort.

    Sincerely,
    Kelly Dix

  6. Bob Baer on July 10, 2016 said:

    Chris and family,
    There were many times while walking across the SDSU campus that I met Kurt and talked with him for a while. I really enjoyed talking with him and he always mentioned his family. Our sincerest condolences.